News Focus: Grant will help clinic fight opioid addiction

Monday

Sep 18, 2017 at 12:00 PM

Covered Bridge Healthcare in Centreville has begun offering a shot to help those struggling with alcohol or opioid use – and just this past week was awarded a $132,200 federal grant to assist with their efforts.

Elena Meadows

Covered Bridge Healthcare in Centreville has begun offering a shot to help those struggling with alcohol or opioid use – and just this past week was awarded a $132,200 federal grant to assist with their efforts. Since March, approximately 30 people have started the program that facilitates recovery through monthly Vivitrol injections for a year, along with therapy sessions with personnel from Covered Bridge, Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, or others. “Vivitrol helps take away the cravings,” Covered Bridge director of clinical services Stacy Linihan said. “I’m told it helps them focus.” Recovering addicts are working at getting jobs, procuring housing and building healthy relationships; when they are not focused on their drug of choice, they are better able to focus on creating a new clean life. Covered Bridge staff works very closely with St. Joseph County Adult Drug Treatment Court, and Linihan is part of the team that recommends candidates for the procedure. They also get referrals from the Gilmore Center and Sacred Heart rehabilitation centers, and through their work with the Twin County Community Probation Center, get referrals from case managers. Covered Bridge personnel make weekly visits to the Probation Center, and are able to administer the injections there rather than having the probationers come to the county seat. They were notified Friday that they had received an AIMS (Access Increases for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services) grant to provide services to jail inmates who will be released within two weeks. This will allow them to give inmates the injection before they get out, as well as start educating them and talking about their relapse prevention plan. Medicaid completely covers the injections; people with private insurance must fill out a separate application, but Covered Bridge offers assistance with the process.

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